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Vinyl Flooring - an Easy Choice for a Modern Kitchen

Luxury vinyl flooring is a great choice for durability, easy cleaning, and a variety of styles and colors. But how do you choose the best vinyl flooring? This article gives you the information you need to make the best decision for your kitchen renovation, especially when learning how to choose the best luxury vinyl flooring or comparing the best vinyl flooring for kitchen use.

Modern luxury vinyl flooring also offers moisture-proof flooring, making it ideal for kitchens where spills and humidity are common. Because of its strong vinyl flooring durability, it remains one of the most affordable vinyl flooring options for homeowners looking for style without sacrificing performance.

Choosing the Best Vinyl Flooring for Your Kitchen Renovation

Vinyl flooring is the choice for kitchen renovations because it is durable, easy to clean, and stylish. However, because it comes in so many styles, colors, and options it can be hard to know what flooring to choose. Here we explain how to choose the best luxury vinyl flooring for your kitchen renovation for beautiful results.

During your kitchen renovation flooring project, think about what matters most: waterproof vinyl flooring, scratch-resistant flooring, or the best vinyl for heavy traffic. By clearly choosing vinyl flooring based on lifestyle, you create long-lasting kitchen floors that stay beautiful for years.

Glue-down vs. Floating Vinyl Plank Flooring

Floating floors are installed without adhesive. They use a tongue-and-groove lock system to hold the planks in place, which means it is less labor-intensive than glue-down floors. This is the best option if you want to install your own floor to save money. Floating vinyl plank flooring is also better if you apply the floors to older subfloors. You won’t have to worry about the time and effort of prepping the subfloor. The downside is that it isn’t the best choice for high-traffic kitchen areas as it lacks the extra support glue provides to hold the planks securely in place.

Many homeowners choose floating floors because these easy-to-install vinyl planks allow simple DIY plank installation without major tools. It’s a popular pick when you want quick installation and a clean finish.

Glue-down plank flooring is glued to the subfloor with a strong adhesive. Before the flooring is installed, the kitchen subfloor needs to be leveled and free of imperfections and debris to ensure a secure, even fit. This step adds to the cost of the installation. Overall, if your kitchen subfloor is imperfect and you see a lot of traffic, the glue-down option tends to be the better choice.

Because glue-down vinyl flooring bonds directly to the base, it holds up better in high-traffic kitchen areas and is often preferred when you want the best vinyl for heavy traffic and maximum stability.

Underlayment vs No Underlayment

Underlayment is sometimes installed below vinyl plank flooring. It comes in sheets or rolls and can be laid over concrete or wood subfloors. Underlayment is not required for vinyl flooring. However, if you have someone in the basement, underlayment can help reduce noise transfer while helping ensure floors remain even more waterproof.

Adding vinyl floor underlayment—whether cork underlayment or foam underlayment—can enhance noise reduction flooring, support a more stable waterproof core feeling, and improve vinyl floor comfort underfoot, especially in kitchens with long cooking hours.

Wear Layer Thickness

The wear layer impacts the price and grade of the vinyl kitchen flooring you install. Vinyl flooring consists of four layers:

Wear Layer:

This is a clear coat to protect the decorative layer below from scratches. It also improves durability.

Top Layer:

This vinyl layer is the decorative element often embossed to create a more realistic look.

Core Structure:

This layer is made of wood-plastic composite (WPC vinyl flooring) or stone-plastic composite (SPC vinyl flooring). WPC includes a foaming agent for comfort, while SPC is stiffer and stronger.

Both WPC and SPC help create a stable, moisture-proof flooring foundation ideal for kitchen vinyl flooring exposed to spills and temperature changes.

Attached Underlayment:

This base is cork or foam to help absorb sound.

The wear layer is the thickest. Ranging from mil thickness (4–40 mil), thicker wear layers improve the quality as well as the durability of the flooring. Since you are investing a lot of money in your kitchen reno, you want your flooring to last, so opting for the thickest layer you can afford makes sense. Residential wear layers hover at around eight mils, but if your kitchen is bustling, you might consider a slightly thicker layer when choosing the best luxury vinyl flooring for kitchen durability.

A higher wear layer also enhances scratch-resistant flooring, stain-resistant vinyl, and overall vinyl floor lifespan, especially in busy cooking spaces.

Vinyl Flooring Formats

Vinyl floors come in different formats that allow you to get the look you want, including:

1. Vinyl Sheet Flooring:

This is a budget-friendly, completely waterproof format as it comes in sheets cut to fit your kitchen’s footprint. It is cost-effective because it doesn’t require cutting, measuring, and placing individual tiles or planks. It comes in tile, stone, and wood looks but lacks the texture and realistic look of individual planks and tiles.

Many families choose waterproof sheet vinyl when they want budget-friendly vinyl flooring with full moisture protection.

2. Vinyl Tile Flooring:

Vinyl tile flooring is perfect for kitchens offering endless designs, including marble and ceramic/tile looks. They come in different sizes and can be used to create a uniform look or a completely customized floor with different colors and patterns. You can also add grouting to give the tile a more authentic look.

With marble-look vinyl tiles and modern patterns, vinyl tile flooring is a great option for homeowners who want style plus easy kitchen flooring maintenance with a stain-resistant vinyl surface.

3. Vinyl Plank Flooring:

This is the most popular choice if you want a wood look for your kitchen floors. Vinyl planks mimic wood floors, creating a realistic, high-end hardwood look and helping homeowners understand how to choose the best vinyl plank flooring for style and durability.

These planks offer realistic wood-look vinyl, combining rich style with best waterproof flooring performance. Thanks to strong vinyl flooring durability, they remain one of the top kitchen flooring options for modern homes.

Once you decide on the format, your final choice is the style. If you want to learn more about the benefits of vinyl flooring for your kitchen and other rooms in your home, read more here.

Learn More

As explained vinyl flooring is available in an endless selection of styles and formats. It provides hard-wearing, beautiful flooring ideal for the busy “heart of your home.” If you want to learn more about the benefits of vinyl flooring for your home, click the button below.

About the Author:

Since 2014, Nick Patel and the team at SCV Floorsmith have provided high-quality flooring services to homeowners in Naperville, South Barrington, and the surrounding areas. With over 5000 projects completed successfully and more than 30 years of industry experience, you can be confident that SCV Floorsmith has the experience and expertise to handle your next flooring project.

How To Choose Best Vinyl Flooring for Kitchen